U.S. Immigration Agent Injured in Mexico Border Shooting

A U.S. immigration agent was shot and wounded during a surveillance operation on a desolate stretch of highway near the Texas-Mexico border on Tuesday, law enforcement officials said.

Authorities have not released many details surrounding the circumstances that led to the shooting of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent about 30 miles (48 kilometres) north of the U.S.-Mexico border, near McAllen, Texas.

ICE agents and other law enforcement officers were conducting a surveillance operation when at least one unidentified person opened fire early on Tuesday, Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino said.

No arrests have been made, nor have authorities disclosed if there are any suspects or a motive in the case.

The wounded special agent was rushed to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery. His condition and identity have not been disclosed, ICE spokeswoman Nina Pruneda said.

Tuesday's incident is the second time in less than a year that a law enforcement officer suffered gunshot wounds on duty in Hidalgo County, Texas - a metropolitan area of about 800,000 residents where human smuggling and drug trafficking are commonplace.

Members of Mexico's Gulf Cartel are suspected of shooting one of Trevino's deputies in November, prompting the sheriff to declare the incident the first case in the county of so-called "spillover violence" from Mexico's drug wars. (Editing by Greg McCune and Eric Beech)